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Church Architecture Doesn't have to have the Same Objectives as Secular Architecture; An Interview with the Director of the Moscow Architectural Institute, Dimitry Shvidkovsky

Editor’s note: This article is reposted from orthochristian.com.  It describes the current process by which church architects are trained in Russia, and the prevailing attitudes towards style, tradition, and innovation, in this field. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the contemporary rebirth of Russian church architecture. – A. Gould Since 2016, the leading Russian […]

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Two images of the Church and why they should not be confused.

Christological and Pneumatological Images of the Church In early Christian art, there developed a series of complementary visual relationships which I have discussed on numerous occasions and have come to often characterize as the right hand and the left  hand of Christ.  These elements, like the ass and the ox, St-Peter and St-Paul, the good […]

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The problem of art in Anglophone Orthodoxy: a review essay

Recently, an online exchange about public outreach efforts with respect to various aspects of Orthodox music and music of Orthodox composers led the following comment by a discussant: What exactly is so “Orthodox” about any kind of pure music? […] [T]o associate any composer with the Church is an empty exercise, since music has only […]

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An Icon of the Kingdom of God: The Integrated Expression of all the Liturgical Arts – Part 12: Incense – Heavenly Fragrance and Transfigured Light

This is post 12 of 12 in the series “An Icon of the Kingdom of God” This is the twelfth part of an ongoing serial (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11) Of all the honors a king could bestow, the […]

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An Icon of the Kingdom of God: The Integrated Expression of all the Liturgical Arts – Part 11: Gardens, Churchyards, and Cemeteries

This is post 11 of 12 in the series “An Icon of the Kingdom of God” This is the eleventh part of an ongoing serial (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10) The vision of paradise as an idyllic walled garden is exceedingly […]

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A New Cathedral for Montenegro - Thoughts on the Architecture

On Monday the primates and hierarchs of many nations gathered to consecrate a new cathedral in Podgorica, capital of Montenegro. Coverage of the grand event can be found on many news sites, but here I would like to reflect upon the building itself and its appointments. Construction of the cathedral began in 1993. It is […]

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A Byzantine Church in Wood for South Carolina

For the past year, I have been working to design a substantial new church building for the OCA parish of St. John of the Ladder in Greenville, South Carolina. The parish has acquired an attractive wooded property and wishes to relocate completely. They will need a temple for 250 people and also a parish hall. […]

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An Icon of the Kingdom of God: The Integrated Expression of all the Liturgical Arts – Part 9: Linens

This is post 9 of 12 in the series “An Icon of the Kingdom of God” This is the ninth part of an ongoing serial (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8)     In Orthodox churches the use of white linens provides an avenue for textile […]

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Contemporary Georgian Art

There is a facebook page called “Contemporary Christian Art” but most people would not notice because it is all in Georgian script.  Although boasting hundreds of pictures of early art from all of Christendom, the most remarkable aspect to those of us who are not in Georgia is how it prominently features contemporary Georgian liturgical […]

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Marble Revetments

Today I would like to call attention to marble revetments, meaning the decorative marble paneling that clads the lower walls of a Byzantine church. It is impossible to overstate the architectural importance of revetments. In the grander Byzantine churches, the marbles covered most of the interior surface, dominating the visual experience of the church far […]